The invention relates to airplane cockpits, and more particularly to control yoke mounted airplane cockpit displays.
Display space on the control panel of an aircraft is limited by the physical dimensions of the cockpit and the number of instruments displayed on the control panel is limited by the physical size of the instrument""s display which must be large enough to be easily read by the crew. These control panel space constraints limit the number of instruments available on the control panel of any aircraft, from the small private airplane to the large commercial airliners. For example, current private airplanes are typically equipped with a standard avionics package that includes a pair of radios and a pair of navigation receivers. The control panel is filled with engine instrument displays, airplane control displays and navigation/voice radio displays. No room exists on the control panel for map displays, such as those that use information from a global positioning system (GPS). Although larger and carrying more instruments, commercial airliners suffer similar space constraints. Similar constraints also limit the number of instruments which can be displayed on the control panel of a land or water-based vehicle, i.e., the dash board of an automobile or a boat. In such situations display space is a premium.
Because display space is a premium, instrument panels generally do not provide space for redundancy, i.e., back-up displays for any or all flight critical instruments. Nor is space available for additional flight information. Thus, as current technology provides new information sources, for example, the GPS position information, the instrument display must compete with the existing instruments for space on the control panel. Some of the new technology products provide critical flight safety information which must somehow be provided to the crew. Additionally, pilots must routinely consult pre-flight check lists, flight charts, approach plates, and other flight information documents, while operating the aircraft. For example, during landing pilots generally prefer to have an approach plate or map in plain view for easy reference.
Examples of efforts to provide additional display space include such products as so called xe2x80x9clap boards.xe2x80x9d Lap boards, as described in Design U.S. Pat. No. 317,788, AVIATION LAP BOARD, are literally boards strapped to the pilot""s leg which provide an extra flat surface for holding maps for reference during flight or landing. However, the pilot is forced to continually look down at the lap board to read the documents which interrupts attention to the instruments and windshield. Another example is the clip board mounted to the column of the aircraft control yoke described in each of U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,623, FLIGHT DOCUMENTS ORGANIZER and U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,229, HOLDER FOR ASSEMBLAGE OF PILOT FLIGHT CHARTS. U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,338, TIMER AND APPROACH PLATE HOLDER FOR AIRCRAFT describes such a clip board, incorporating a chronometer, which mounts by a spring clip onto the yoke column. U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,690, VEHICULAR DESK OR INFORMATION DISPLAY, describes another such clip board, incorporating a video display, which again mounts by a clamp onto the yoke column. Other clip boards are know which are designed to mount directly onto the control yoke, either as a removable attachment or as an integral part of the control yoke (no examples found). The described control column and yoke mounted clip boards provide the pilot with an easily viewable display.
Presently, pilots often temporarily mount the approach map, or another aeronautical chart or flight information document, like a recipe card on the clip board. However, while pilots need to comfortably and effectively consult these documents in a timely fashion as the need arises, such maps and documents tend to obscure other critical flight instruments and engine and fuel monitoring instruments on the control panel. Also, these documents tend to become awkward and unwieldy when too large to conveniently fit on the clip board. Some further disadvantages of control column mounted clip boards are that they are costly for many private pilots and that small aircraft manufacturers cannot provide these useful displays because their temporary nature does not allow for certification.
However, the control yoke does provide an excellent opportunity for additional instrument display space as exemplified by the installation of a clock or chronometer in the center of the control yoke. For example, see the Beech Super King Air cockpit. None of the prior art devices teach utilizing the control yoke to provide a easily viewable display which provides access to a variety of useful information. Thus, to date, the display space presented by the control yoke has not been effectively exploited by any of the prior art devices.
The present invention overcomes the display space limitations of the prior art by providing a yoke mounted instrument display capable of displaying information from a number of different sensors.
The display assembly of the present invention receives information from one or more on-board information sources. The information is processed by a navigation computer integrated into the steering mechanism of a vehicle control system; and the information is displayed on a display integrated into the steering mechanism. The on-board information sources preferably include one or more of a flight computer, one or more on-board warning systems, and one or more navigation sensors. The invention preferably displays flight safety information, navigation moving maps, terrain maps and/or other displayable information received from the flight computer or directly from the on-board information sources.
According to one aspect of the invention, a display assembly is mounted on the control mechanism, i.e., the control yoke or steering wheel, of any of an aircraft, an automobile or a boat. The display assembly includes a navigation computer integrated with the control mechanism. The navigation computer receives information from one or more information systems. The information systems are, for example, a flight computer, one or more on-board warning systems, and/or one or more navigation sensors. According to one aspect of the invention, the information systems are a database storing navigational charts and global positioning system (GPS) information received from navigation sensors. The information systems are either located elsewhere on the vehicle external to the display assembly or are integral with the display assembly.
The navigation computer has access to one or more computer programs which may be any of one or more pre-programmed computer applications resident on the navigation computer; one or more pre-programmed computer applications available through access to a pre-programmed memory device such as a magnetic or optical data storage device; or one or more computer application programmed by the user. The navigation computer executes one or more of the computer programs to generate an output signal in response to information received from one or more of the information systems. Function controls are integrated with the control mechanism and coupled to the navigation computer. The function controls are preferably one or more function control keys. According to one aspect of the invention, each of the function control keys exhibits a programmable function compatible with each different computer application. Through the function controls the operator causes the navigation computer to execute different ones of the computer applications. A visual display integrated with the control mechanism and coupled to the navigation computer receives the navigation computer""s output signal and displays information useful to the vehicle operator. The display screen is preferably capable of dynamically displaying graphical and textual information. For example, in an aircraft application, the information displayed is flight safety information, navigation moving maps, terrain maps and/or other displayable information received from the flight computer. The function controls are alternatively menu choices on the display screen combined with a pointing device, such as a mouse, which is coupled interactively with the navigation computer.
According to one aspect of the invention, the display assembly optionally also includes a memory device coupled to the navigation computer. The memory device, for example, a magnetic disk memory, a compact disk memory or another suitable memory device, is preferably a read-only memory device. Memory storage devices, i.e., magnetic disks or compact disks, having stored database information or pre-programmed computer applications are inserted into the memory device and thus the stored information is made accessible to the navigation computer, either as an executable computer program or as database information usable in an executable computer program.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, the display assembly is formed integrally with the vehicle steering mechanism such that the combination steering mechanism and display assembly can be mounted on a vehicle to both steer the vehicle and display vehicle status information processed by the navigation computer.
Steering mechanisms, whether intended for an aircraft, automobile or boat, are typically formed with a central hub where the interconnection to the vehicle""s control system is normally made. Whether the display assembly is formed integrally with the steering mechanism or integrated with an existing steering mechanism by being removably or fixedly attached, the display assembly is preferably positioned essentially at the center of the steering mechanism""s central hub.